Book Reviews
Abstract
Book Reviews 1 71 to be a failure. Neither the military was willing to move forward nor was the civil- ian govemment even seriously inclined to address "la cuestion de reforma". Rightly so, as the author shows, defense reforms eluded not only for reasons of the armed forces' "lack of self-motivation" but also "the lack of external direction", be it constitutional or political. No wonder, therefore, that the defense reform bill, drafted after years of loud thinking both by the executive and by the military envisaging the reorganization of the MOD through modernization of the armed forces "aug- menting its capacity while simultaneously reducing funds assigned" came to naught. At the time of its adoption in 1988, the much-mutilated bill became the tragic victim to the legislative (mis)fortunes of the ruling UCR. In other words, defense reform, a critical need of the hour especially after the devastating Malvinas defeat, could not be consummated largely on account of the lack of foresight on the part of the civilian ruling elite. In some sense, therefore, it is much less to do with the proverbial apathy and inter-force rivalry attributed to the Argentine military. Be that as it may, in all